News

Our own urban nature reserve Wolf Fields has been highly praised by community leaders for its recently added audio description, braille signs and information sheets.

MIRACULOUS GARDEN

Members of the Ealing Association for the Blind described their visit to the three-acre site in West London as passing ‘from one enchantment to the next’ and thanked A Rocha UK for ‘an utterly joyous visit to this miraculous garden’.

‘Our group found the accessible information most helpful,’ said EBA Co-ordinator Karen Staartjes. ‘The audio description station was tested and installed by the pond, alongside an information board with braille.

‘We were given large print with braille description sheets and raised image plans of the sensory garden. Next to the sensory garden another board was inaugurated, and this one had more detailed braille information.’ Karen told us she felt included – ‘unlike any other green space I have ... Read more...

We face an uphill battle for the planet. Some key guidance will be offered by our own Conservation Director Andy Lester, who is gearing up for a spring conference called Where Eagles Dare. Join him by booking now!

The event will be held on 26th May at Dorset-based Eco Church champions Hilfield Friary, who are also part of our Partners In Action network. The conference will show how Christian hope, grounded in Scripture, can underpin ecology and the need for collective practical action on the planet.

NATURE RICH

‘A Rocha UK has been working alongside Hilfield Friary as a Partner in Action for the past eight years,’ Andy explained. ‘They were the first site in the UK to gain an Eco Church gold award.

‘Sustainability and outstanding land management underpins everything they do – from how they source their heating, to what ... Read more...

It’s been a trouble-free launch for the new Eco Church survey that we unveiled recently. Our Church Relations Manager Helen Stephens – who monitors usage of the website – noted that churches are using the upgraded survey and award applications are being made on the back of it already.

LISTENING TO CHURCHES

‘We want to celebrate what churches can do,’ said Helen, ‘and we think the new survey goes much further to help them do just that.’ While the categories remain the same, the new survey takes account of such challenges as:

– churches which have listed building status, which limits them on what they can modify;
– different demographics, including churches which don’t have any children or young people in the congregation;
– a variety of church styles across different denominations.

Plastic is the new enemy! After years of happily drinking from single-use plastic bottles and accepting that our food comes wrapped in multiple layers of plastic, we’re waking up to the impact this throwaway culture is having on nature.

HEART WRENCHING

Blue Planet II changed all that. Filmed in heart-wrenching detail, viewers saw for themselves the plight of birds, fish and other sea creatures tangled in bits of plastic, often still recognisable as the packaging we discard from our busy lives. And that’s just the stuff we can see.

As plastic drifts on ocean currents it breaks down, slowly, into tiny plastic fragments – secondary microplastics. These particles are small enough to be ingested, by fish and other creatures, entering the food chain. That’s our food chain.

Even the pristine wilderness of the Arctic is threatened. A couple of weeks ago, the BBC reported research ... Read more...

A Rocha UK and A Rocha France join forces this summer for our first ever Nature and Discovery Week in the south of France.

GRASSLAND HABITATS

Les Courmettes, A Rocha France’s centre in the Alpes Maritimes, is set in a stunning location overlooking the Bay of Cannes. From 10th-16th June you could be there, in the company of other A Rocha UK supporters, exploring conservation and faith amid the beauty of summer and nature at this biodiversity-rich reserve.

Woodland, wetland and grassland habitats, working farms, marked trails, sites of geological and archaeological interest are all presided over by the soaring 1,248m Pic de Courmettes.

You’ll be able to find out about the nature, history and working life of the estate on guided walks. There’ll also be free time for visits to scenic villages like Tourrettes-sur-Loup or Gourdon, the perfume factories of Grasse or to dip ... Read more...